Moorpool Players
The Moorpool Players are one of Birmingham's leading amateur dramatic companies, based at Moorpool Hall, Harborne, Birmingham.
The Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977 led to the formation of the Harborne Residents' Association, out of which the idea of bringing amateur theatre to the stage of the Moorpool Hall grew. In October 1977 the first meeting of half a dozen keen would-be actors took place in a member's house, thus Noel Coward's"Blithe Spirit" and the Moorpool Players were born. The only person with any experience was the producer, whose ambitious IDeaS certainly paid off. The play was performed for three NiGHTS with astonishing success. The stage was small and curtains had to be borrowed from the cafe area. Slowly, the situation improved and The Players acquired new made-to-measure drapes. The small profit from "Blithe Spirit" purchased a modicum of lighting equipment as inch by inch the group pressed onwards. The next production, one year later "Goodnight Mrs. Puffin" was staged by a Central Television sound engineer who came to see "Blithe Spirit". This helped the group adopt a more professional approach. The initial productions were all comedies and very successful. The first real drama came in 1981 with J. B. Priestley's "An Inspector Calls".
Other notable productions include:
- "The Diary of Anne Frank" (Subsequently performed at the Roses Theatre Tewkesbury).
- "Anastasia"(Also performed at The New Theatre, Hereford).
- "Habeas Corpus" by Alan Bennett (also performed at both the above Theatres).
- "The Deep Blue Sea" by Terence Rattigan- performed for the Festival of Acting and MusicAL Drama at the Old Repertory Theatre, Birmingham - For which they received the prestigious Philip Rodway Trophy; the premier award for serious drama.
- "Talking Heads" (Alan Bennett)
- "Educating Rita" (Willy Russell)